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7 Dec 2006 : Column 631W—continued
Draft Planning Policy Statement 14
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) advice and (b) guidance provided to the Department of Regional Development during the preparation of draft planning policy statement 14. [105024]
David Cairns: Advice and guidance was sought and provided to the Department for Regional Development from a wide variety of sources throughout the policy development process of draft planning policy statement 14. The Department published an Issues Paper which elicited a wide range of responses. Copies of the Issues Paper and the responses to it have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It is also available at:
http://www.drdni.gov.uk/DRDwww_Consultations/currentConsultation.asp?id=con38
Hospital Infections
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent steps he has taken to combat hospital infections in Northern Ireland; and how many people have contracted such infections in each month of 2006, broken down by hospital. [107631]
Paul Goggins: Recent steps taken to combat health care-associated infections have included the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety’s “Changing the Culture” action plan on the prevention and control of health care-associated infections which was published in March 2006. It requires Trusts to hold a hand hygiene campaign this year and produce an annual infection reduction plan. A key message of the action plan is that infection prevention and control is everyone’s responsibility. Then on 10 October 2006 I launched the “Ward Sisters Charter”. Under the Charter, and among its 10 commitments, Ward Sisters have the authority to create a cleanliness culture within their ward environment while also encouraging patients and visitors to monitor and report on standards of cleanliness.
The information on how many people have contracted hospital infections is not available by month and hospital. However, there is mandatory reporting of two health care-associated infections, namely Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemias (both Methicillin Sensitive (MSSA) and Methicillin Resistant (MRSA) isolates), and Clostridium difficile in those over age 65. These data act as a marker for such infections in general. Data on these two infections are only available up to the end of June 2006 and on a quarterly basis.
Tables giving the numbers of these two infections, by hospital, have been collated by the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (Northern Ireland) and placed in the Library.
Household Statistics
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children were living in households where the only income is derived from benefits in each Northern Ireland constituency in each of the last five years. [104672]
Mr. Hanson: It is not possible to provide figures at constituency level due to the insufficient sample size available.
The number of children in Northern Ireland benefit units where at least 90 per cent. of the income is derived from either state benefits or tax credits is given in the following table:
Interpreters
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many interpreters were employed by (a) each Northern Ireland Department and (b) the Department’s associated agencies in each of the last five years, broken down by language. [104636]
Mr. Hanson: Northern Ireland Departments and their associated agencies do not currently employ any interpreters and have not employed any in the last five years.
Instead, Departments and their associated agencies buy in interpreter services from a variety of sources, as and when required.
Medical Negligence
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many medical negligence charges were made against each Northern Ireland Health Trust in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many of those charges were (a) dismissed and (b) upheld. [104635]
Paul Goggins: The information requested is not held centrally and will take some time to collate. I will write to the hon. Lady when the information is available and place a copy in the Library.
Parliament Buildings
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) whether the Northern Ireland Parliament building Stormont is considered a terrorist target; [107407]
(2) whether training has taken place at the Northern Ireland Parliament building Stormont to prepare for a serious terrorist attack; [107408]
(3) what advice has been given to the Northern Ireland Parliament building Stormont on protecting the building from a potential terrorist threat; [107412]
(4) whether the Northern Ireland Parliament building Stormont has directly received any terrorist threat; [107413]
(5) what resources he has provided to those responsible for security at the Northern Ireland Parliament to deal with terrorist threats; [107415]
(6) whether a review of security at the Northern Ireland Parliament buildings will be undertaken. [107416]
Mr. Hanson:
I am advised that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has no current intelligence to
indicate the existence of a specific terrorist threat to Parliament buildings, Stormont.
Advice on the protection of Parliament buildings is provided to the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly by PSNI on an ongoing basis and would include matters such as the security-related issues surrounding the handling of major events and VIP visits. Following the 24 November incident, there have been discussions between the Speaker and the Chief Constable of the PSNI and it has been agreed that there will be a policing presence at Parliament buildings for the plenary sitting days of the Transitional Assembly.
All security staff in Parliament buildings are given appropriate training to ensure that they deliver the full range of their responsibilities. Resources for the provision of security, including the appointment and training of security personnel, are allocated from the Assembly’s annual budget allocation.
All these matters will be included in the Review of Security within Parliament buildings, initiated by the Commission for the Transitional Assembly.
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any of the police force at the Northern Ireland Parliament building Stormont are armed. [107410]
Mr. Hanson: Police are present in Parliament buildings for plenary sittings of the Transitional Assembly. Officers are armed with appropriate police weaponry.
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what permanent police presence there is at the Northern Ireland Parliament building Stormont. [107411]
Mr. Hanson: A permanent police presence was in place at Parliament buildings on plenary sitting days until the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly. This then ceased with the consequent ending of sittings of the Assembly.
The Speaker and the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland have recently agreed to a police presence being provided for Parliament buildings on sitting days of the Transitional Assembly.
School Transport
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2006, Official Report, column 585W, on school transport, what the locations are of the first 10 schools that are involved in the programme of school safety zones during 2006-07; and which the other 20 schools in 2007-08 will be. [105283]
David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 7 December 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question pursuant to my answer of 28 November 2006, regarding what the locations are of the first 10 schools that
are involved in the 2006-07 programme of school safety zones. You also asked where the other 20 schools in the 2007-08 programme would be. As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
I should explain that Roads Service is currently finalising the selection exercise, to confirm the list of 10 schools at which school safety zones to manage speeds at rural schools, where the current speed limit is 60mph, will be installed by the end of this current financial year. Seven schools have already been identified, as follows:
St. Mary’s Secondary School, Brollagh, Belleek;
Strabane Grammar School;
St. Malachy’s Primary School, Glencull, Ballygawley;
St. Columba’s Primary School, Boleran;
Diamond Primary School, Ahoghill;
Carrowreagh Primary School, Finvoy Road, Ballymoney; and
Carr Primary School, Comber Road, Lisburn
The three further schools that remain to be identified will be within our Southern Division.
The list of 20 further schools to be addressed in the 2007-08 financial year will not be finalised until early 2007.
Tenant Debt
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the rate of average past tenant debt was in each Northern Ireland Housing Executive District Office in each year between March 2000 and March 2005. [105281]
Mr. Hanson: The following table details the average past tenant debt in each Housing Executive District office in each year between March 2000 and March 2005. These figures include housing benefit overpayments raised before April 2004 as well as rent and rates arrears. It is not possible to separate out these figures.
| Northern Ireland housing executive average past tenant debt | ||||||
| £ | ||||||
| As at March: | ||||||
| District | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
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